Birthday Blues
by Galadriel1010
Summary: Jack and Ianto have taken the children out to the farmhouse for a few weeks, and preparations for Ianto's thirtieth birthday are underway. An impromptu trip to Grenada and a nasty stomach bug get in the way, but are no match for Jones organisation.
1. A Spain in the Works

**Author's Note:** So we start a new story to celebrate Ianto's birthday. That's pretty much it, really. Enjoy.

* * *

Jack glared at his cards and his niece, who grinned back innocently. Ianto was trying not to laugh next to him, and David was as inscrutable as ever, just the tiniest twitch of one eyebrow giving away the fact that he was as amused as the rest of them. With a sigh, Jack placed his cards down and folded his arms. "Fine, I fold."

"We told you that you shouldn't play against the Joneses," Mica pointed out cheerfully as she collected her winnings. "You're far too emotional and open."

"I'm not sure I like what you're implying about us," Ianto frowned at her over his cards. "We're mysterious, not callous."

"You know what I mean," she waved him away and reorganised her cards. "The game remains afoot; unless you'd like to concede as well?"

"Don't hold your breath," he growled at her playfully. The phone started ringing in the living room and he made to rise. "After I..."

"I'll get it," Jack got up faster and squeezed his shoulder. "I might as well, since I've been so cruelly cast out."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," David pointed to the door without lifting his eyes from his cards. "Answer the phone so that those of us who are still in the game can think."

He laughed and did as he was told, reaching the phone before the caller rang off. "Hello, Bluff Farm."

"Captain Harkness?"

Jack's heart sank and he looked at the kitchen door, still half ajar so that the golden light lit a triangle across the stone flags of the hall and lifted the darkness in the unlit living room. "Speaking, may I ask who's calling?"

"This is Colonel Green of UNIT, Sir. We spoke a few months ago..."

"Oh yes, sorry," he rubbed at his forehead and sank into the armchair that looked out over the yard. "I knew I recognised your voice. How can I help you, Colonel?"

"There has been a spaceship crashed near Grenada. Obviously I can't tell you much on this line," her tone was faintly disapproving, and he took objection to it. "But it's close to major population centres and, as you will appreciate, we need all the help we can get."

He sighed and rubbed his face. "How soon do you need me?"

"As soon as possible, Sir. UNIT will pick you up from Cardiff airport and you can be in Grenada in under an hour," she told him brusquely. "I'll have an officer meet you and brief you on the plane."

"Well for starters, it'll take me three hours to get to Cardiff," Jack snapped. "I'm on holiday with my family..." he took a deep breath, which she didn't use for any apology, and he sagged. "How close to population centres?"

"It's right next to the motorway, which has, as a result, been closed; ten minutes from the nearest town of any size by car."

He sighed and nodded to himself, then checked his watch. "I'll be in Cardiff by midnight, and I'll assess the situation further once I know more."

"Thank you, sir," she said, more as acknowledgement than out of any actual gratitude. "The plane will be waiting for you."

Jack hung up and tossed the phone onto the sofa, then pressed his fingers against his eyes and took another deep breath to calm himself. Gentle fingers rubbed against the back of his neck and down to his shoulders. "You have to go?" Ianto asked softly.

"Yeah." He reached up and pulled Ianto around the chair and down into his lap. "I'm really sorry, Ianto. I didn't..."

"It's okay." Ianto kissed him gently to silence him and cupped his cheek. "You wouldn't go unless you had to. How long will you be gone?"

"I don't know," he sighed, wrapping his arms tighter around Ianto's waist. "I might be back here by lunchtime. Then again..."

"You might not," Ianto finished. He kissed Jack once more and stood up. "I'll check your bag; you go and say goodbye to the kids."

Jack nodded and pushed himself out of the chair. "Next year, we tell them to go stuff themselves."

"You know we can't do that," Ianto chided him, going to the stairs ahead of him. "They'd do it."

He chuckled and followed Ianto up the stairs, then went into Mirabelle's room whilst Ianto went into theirs. Mirabelle was asleep, hidden under the quilt with Tybalt, their black and white furball of a cat, watching over her. She woke up and blinked at him blearily when he shook her gently. "Daddy?"

"Hey there Princess," he gathered her up into his arms, duvet and all, and held her close. "I've got to go away for a couple of days, just come to say goodbye before I go."

She sighed and snuggled in against him. They were both used to their parents disappearing occasionally on work trips, but that didn't mean that they liked it. "Where going?"

"I'm going to Spain. I'll bring you a present back if you promise to look after your tad for me. He'll need lots of cuddles."

"I promise," she assured him seriously.

"That's my girl." With one last kiss to her forehead he eased her back into bed and her eyes closed instantly. "Sleep well baby."

Andrew was more alert once woken than Mirabelle had been, and rolled towards Jack for a hug. "You're going away?"

"Yeah, I'm afraid so," Jack sighed. "Someone's being stupid again."

"People are always being stupid," Andrew pointed out. "You'll sort them."

"I'll do my best," Jack promised, strangely reassured by his son's unquestioning faith in him. He was going to do his very best to live up to that faith. "Will you write to me whilst I'm away?"

"Yeh," Andrew buried his face against Jack's shoulder and yawned. "Are you going to be gone long?"

"Not too long, I hope," he rubbed Andrew's back and started tucking him back into bed. "I think I just need to go and shout at some people."

"I can't imagine you shouting," Andrew muttered, blinking. "Are you very scary?"

"Oh yes," Jack grinned down at him. "It makes people do what I tell them."

"I bet you're not as scary as Tad is," Andrew giggled. "He always tells you off."

"You could be right," he conceded. "Sleep now, tiger. Look after Belle for me."

He'd heard Ianto going downstairs, so he followed him down into the kitchen, where Mica hugged him. "You know, you don't have to go off in a strop just because you lost a card game," she muttered into his chest.

"Where are you going?" David asked. Ianto was making him a flask of coffee, and looked over for the answer.

"Grenada. There's been a spaceship crash landed by a motorway, and they need to move it safely so that they can reopen," he explained. "I hope it will just be as simple as that, but you never know."

"They might need you for other things whilst they've got you," Ianto pointed out.

"Well good for them," Jack scoffed. "I'm coming back as soon as this ship is dealt with. I was quite enjoying my holiday."

Mica sighed and squeezed him. "Bring me a dress back?"

"Don't push it," Ianto warned her, screwing the lid onto the Thermos. "Your mam would never forgive us."

"Fine." She released Jack and stepped back. "Have a nice trip."

"I'll try," Jack laughed. "Private jet, nice hotel, Grenada in summer... it's a shame you're not old enough for me to pass you off as my PA, really."

David came in for a brief hug, but escaped quickly. "Don't get shot."

Ianto tutted and zipped Jack's bag up with the Thermos inside it, then straightened and nodded to the door. "Are you taking the Jag?"

"Yeah, I will do." He accepted the bag and led the way to the door, then pulled Ianto in to a tight embrace. "Have fun without me."

"We'll do our best," Ianto assured him, pulling back. He framed Jack's face in his hands and kissed him, slow, gentle and thorough as always.

Jack held him tighter and returned it with interest, feeling nothing more than guilty at having to leave. "I'll be back before you know it," he promised when they parted. "And I'll write."

"I know you will," Ianto laughed, brushing his lips against Jack's cheekbone. "I packed some of the recycled paper you and Belle made."

"Carbon offsetting, I like it," Jack kissed him once more and released him. "I'd better be off; the jet is waiting for me."

"I don't think recycling paper is quite going to offset a private jet," Ianto pointed out, folding his arms. "But you get credit for trying."

Jack laughed and swooped in for one more chaste kiss. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too," Ianto smiled softly. "So don't stay away too long."

"I mean it," Jack told him, putting his bag into the passenger footwell, "I'll be back before you know I'm gone."

"Adios."

"Adios indeed." Jack saluted him and got into the driver's seat, then set off down the track. He didn't need to look back to know that Ianto would be standing at the kitchen door, watching until his tail-lights disappeared out of sight down the road.


	2. In the Ether

Jack set his laptop up on the desk and pulled his T shirt off whilst it woke up, throwing it into the corner of the room. He was exhausted from the night's hard work, and hot and sticky from the way it had dragged over until noon. Over the last five years with Ianto, he'd got used to sleeping every night, and missing out on that messed with his head as much as it did for anyone else.

As soon as his computer was ready, he loaded up their encrypted chat program and hopes that Ianto was near his computer.

Jack: Am I talking to a computer or a person?

There was a long wait, and he realised with disappointment that the computer was switched on but unattended, but then the icon appeared to say that someone was typing.

Ianto: It's David.

Ianto: I'll go find Uncle Ianto for you

Jack: Thanks David :)

Ianto: … old people using emoticons. It's just /wrong/

Jack: …

Jack: I was born in the future, I'm not sure how I count as old when it comes to computers.

Jack: My first computer had a holographic display called Amiga.

Ianto: Is that the one you seduced?

Ianto: Hi

Jack: I didn't seduce her, we were just very good friends.

Jack: Heya, how's it going back there?

Ianto: Alternatively quiet and noisy. We've had naked Belle running around the Nant meadow chasing bubbles and scaring a group of hikers.

Jack: You got photos?

Ianto: Many. She'll hate us when she's older.

Jack: =D

Ianto: … David's right, that is quite disturbing.

Ianto: How's work going, anyway?

Jack: We've got the ship safely out of the way, but I need to disconnect the fuel supply and store it safely before they ship it out to Springs.

Jack: It could go boom.

Ianto: Ah.

Jack: Yes.

Jack: So I'm pretty tired, plus hot and sweaty.

Ianto: What a lovely image. Have a shower and go to bed.

Jack: I intend to. Just wanted to see if you were around before I went.

Ianto: I'm around. I had a suspicion you'd either come online to chat, or just turn up.

Jack: Well I was hoping for the latter, but then I found the fuel cell :(

Ianto: There there.

Ianto: I miss you too.

Jack: It's so weird without you. Sam was asking after you, though.

Ianto: Oh yes? How is the old sod?

Jack: He's fine. Got on the wrong end of a Porpentine last month.

Ianto :x

Jack: That's the face I pulled too. No lasting damage, though.

Ianto: That's a relief.

Ianto: You think you'll be home tomorrow, then?

Jack: I hope so.

Jack: I have to disconnect this fuel cell for them and prep it for delivery to the centre at Geneva

Jack: And I need to supply them with fairly detailed notes because no one else has ever come across it before, and I don't want them poking it with the wrong thing and levelling Switzerland.

Jack: Although that would be quite impressive, considering how pointy it is.

Ianto: You've very, very tired, aren't you?

Jack: I'm getting old. I need my beauty sleep, and I haven't had it.

Ianto: Not got any sleep at all?

Jack: None. Got here, looked at the ship and my words were 'oh shit'

Ianto: I bet that reassured them.

Jack: Colonel Green matched her name, it was hilarious.

Jack: Have I mentioned that I don't like her?

Ianto: She is a little brusque and officious, but I didn't know you actually disliked her.

Jack: I didn't until last night.

Ianto: Ah.

Ianto: I didn't like her very much last night either.

Ianto: Sadly, duty calls.

Jack: Far too often.

Jack: I'd love to be able to leave the phone off the hook...

Ianto: You're far too dashing, noble and heroic for that.

Ianto: And they'd just call me instead.

Ianto: We need to expland our consultancy empire.

Jack: We... do. Whatever 'expland' means

Ianto: …

Ianto: Go to bed, Jack.

Jack: I think that's me told.

Jack: :*

Jack: I miss you

Ianto: I miss you too :*

Ianto: Sleep well, and I'll see you soon. Will you be online tonight?

Jack: I don't know, it depends on how it goes. I hope so.

Ianto: I'll leave it on, then.

Ianto: Love you 

Jack: I love you too. Have a lovely day

Jack: 

He signed off and closed the laptop again, ignoring his email inbox. The paper Ianto had sent him with was tempting, but his eyes were too heavy and sleep too tempting for the moment. The sun beat down heavily outside, and he took a moment to look out at the world and watch the bustle of the crowd, the hundreds of people who had no idea how close they'd come to death last night. Chance, and a rigorous safety procedure on the part of the crew of the downed ship, had saved them. "One day we won't be so lucky," he muttered.

On his bedside table was the photo of the family that he took everywhere with him, that was permanently packed in his travel bag. It was taken the previous Christmas at their Cardiff house, Mirabelle and Andrew sitting on his and Ianto's laps respectively, all four of them laughing and wearing paper hats out of crackers. They had professional photos as well, an annual trip from shortly after Gwen married Rhys that they still kept up, but this was his favourite. He picked it up and smiled sadly. Whatever it took, he'd keep his family safe.


	3. Honey, I'm Home

Jack shrugged his coat off and hung it up in the hall, then leaned against the wall to pull his boots off and set them neatly between Ianto's and Andrew's. The house was unusually quiet, and no one had come to join him yet, so he ran his fingers through his hair and went in search of his family. "Honey, I'm home," he called. "Anyone?"

The staircase creaked under the thunder of feet and Mirabelle shot across the living room towards him. "Daddy daddy daddy! You came home."

"Of course I came home, sweetheart," he lifted her up against his head and then held her against his shoulder so that he could kiss her cheek. "Did you miss me?"

"Yes," she tangled one hand in his hair and cuddled up to him. "It was quiet."

He chuckled and kissed her again. "Well... alright, then. Where'd Tad and Andrew?"

"In Andrew's room," she pointed to the stairs, and Jack wondered why they hadn't come down to meet him. "Andrew is poorly, and Tad won't let me in to look after him."

"Tad's probably worried about you getting ill, princess," Jack assured her. He dropped her down onto his hip and decided to leave his bag in the hallway for the moment. "But I'm sure you would be a brilliant doctor."

He carried her upstairs, not wanting to put her down just yet, and took her into her own bedroom. She had the yellow and blue room that he and Ianto had used the first time they came to the house, and loved its spectacular views down the valley, whilst he and Ianto had taken the master bedroom across the hall and Andrew had the room across from the bathroom. Jack let Belle tell him what they'd been doing whilst he was gone and took the opportunity to brush her hair and retie it in its blue ribbons, then set her down at her desk and kissed her forehead. "I'm going to go and check on Andrew and Tad, okay pet? Whilst I do that, why don't you do me a picture of what you've been doing? Then we can put it in the book."

"Okay! I'll draw you a picture of my horsey," she beamed up at him. "I'm happy you came back."

"So am I, sweetheart. I'll be back in a moment." He left the door open so that he could hear if she called and let himself into Andrew's room, smiling softly when he saw Ianto propped up in bed with Andrew curled up next to him. "There's my boys. Belle says that you're not well, scout."

Andrew shook his head glumly, but sat up and opened his arms. "Hug?"

Jack complied and hugged him tightly, rocking slightly, and looked past him to Ianto. "What's the matter with him?"

"He's just got a stomach bug, haven't you, love?" Ianto reached out and brushed Andrew's hair back. "He can't keep anything down, though. I've tried to keep Belle away, just in case it's catching..."

"She said, I think you're right. Where are Mica and David?" he frowned. He'd have thought that at least one of them would have been looking after their cousin, as they doted on her almost as badly as Ruth did.

Ianto sighed and shrugged. "They left at about six this morning for Hereford with Emily and the kids from next door, wanted to do some shopping. It was just bad timing."

"It can't be helped," Jack smiled at him and beckoned for him to come closer. "Hi, by the way."

"Welcome home." Ianto leaned in and kissed him. "How was your trip?"

"So-so," Jack thought about it. "One of those cases where they didn't really need me, but it was better for me to be there, just in case. Bad timing for it."

"We seem to be having a rash of that," Ianto pointed out, chuckling. He rested the back of his fingers against Andrew's forehead. "You're not burning up so much, sweetheart. Do you think you could eat something?"

Andrew nodded slightly against Jack's chest and smiled shyly. "Ice cream?"

"As nice as the idea is, I don't think that would be sensible," Ianto told him apologetically. "You can have ice cream when you're better, though. How about Dad makes you some chicken soup for now?"

"Okay," he agreed in a small voice, and Jack's heart broke when he had to hand him back to Ianto to stand up.

"I'll get Doctor Harkness-Jones to assist me in the kitchen," Jack suggested. "She's drawing me a picture of her horse at the moment."

"Good idea," Ianto started rocking Andrew again, apparently unaware of it. "I feel guilty that she's been stuck indoors all day..."

"There was nothing you could do about it," Jack insisted. "At least I'm back now. Teamwork, it's what marriage is all about."

"Okay." Ianto smiled up at him. "Can you bring it up? I'd take him down to the snug but..."

"Yeah, that's fine." Jack leaned forwards and kissed Andrew on the forehead, feeling how clammy he was, then got up from the bed and let Ianto settle Andrew against him again. "Do you want a cup of tea?"

"Actually, could you get me a lemonade?" Ianto asked, flicking a glance down at Andrew. "I have my own personal hot water bottle here." 

"Yeah, of course." Jack kissed him. "I'll bring it up when it's ready." He crossed the landing back to Mirabelle's room and went to stand behind her and look down at what she was drawing. "Oh wow. That's your horse, isn't it?"

"Yes." She pointed at the figure on top of it and then the one next to it. "That's me riding, and that's Mica. She did some riding too, but I haven't drawn that yet."

"How about..." Jack pursed his lips in feigned thought and tapped his cheek. "Why don't we take this downstairs, and then we can do some drawing out in the garden after we've had lunch. We need to make some chicken soup for Andrew and Ianto. Do you want soup?"

"No," she shook her head and sent her dark curls flying around her head. "Chicken sandwich. With tomato!"

"You're a very odd child, but I love you for it," he laughed. "Come on then, chef Harkness-Jones."

Mirabelle's assistance in the kitchen involved her sitting on the kitchen table, waving a spoon at Jack and telling him what to do once he'd told her what he was doing. He responded with appropriately cowed agreements, and made her her sandwich on thick-sliced white bread with the crusts cut off, then left her sitting at the table to take the bowls of soup, bread and butter, and glasses of lemonade up to the patient and doctor upstairs. "Knock knock," he called, pushing the door open with his hip. "Did someone order the soup of the day?"

"That was us," Ianto smiled up at him and shifted so that Jack could put the tray flat on his lap. "My hero."

"Always," Jack promised, stealing a kiss. "Do you need anything else?"

"No, we're alright, aren't we?" Ianto checked with Andrew, who nodded. "I think you're going to sleep after we've eaten, aren't you?"

Jack smiled and ruffled Andrew's hair gently. "You get better soon, scout. Yell if you need me."

"I will," Ianto promised. "Go keep Her Highness entertained."

Jack chuckled and did as he was told, shutting the door quietly behind him. When he got down to the kitchen it was to find Mira munching through one of the tomatoes he'd left her with, with seeds spread across her face and juice dribbling down her chin from an enormous grin. "You are a messy little girl, aren't you?" he asked, laughing. "At least we know you're not going to get scurvy."

"What's scurvy?" she reached out to take her tomato back from him and resumed eating it just as messily as she had been before he'd tried to clean her up.

"It's..." he sighed and got her a piece of kitchen towel to tuck down the front of her T shirt as a bib. "It's what you get if you don't eat your fruit and vegetables."

"Is that what made Andrew poorly?" she asked, wide-eyed.

"No, he's just poorly, like when you were sick last winter, remember?" she nodded seriously and he collected his own sandwich from the counter, then sat down next to her. "Well, sometimes these things just happen. He'll be alright tomorrow." 

"Okay." She seemed happy to accept that, and let Jack eat his sandwich in peace apart from insisting on climbing into his lap and stealing bits of tomato from the half on his plate. He wrapped one arm around her waist and let her do it, happy to watch her and enjoy having her there. It was easy to forget how lucky he was, and to take having this for granted, but, thanks in part to his and Ianto's frequent trips away, he never did. Waking up next to Ianto every morning they were at home, spending breakfast with the kids and climbing back into bed with Ianto once he'd delivered them to school, going to pick them up together in the afternoon via coffee with some of the other parents or a work meeting, and then settling down as a family for dinner and whatever they felt like doing in the evening... he hoped that it would never get old, and that he would never come to take it for granted.


	4. In the Quiet of Night

Ianto didn't turn or even open his eyes when he heard footsteps on the stairs. They were too heavy to be any of the children, and Mica and David had retreated to the attic for the night anyway, so he would have heard the attic door. Jack's hands came to rest on his shoulder and he smiled lazily. "Bedtime?" he guessed.

"I think it might be," Jack agreed, and kissed Ianto on the forehead. "All you've done all day is lie in bed. Actually, you're feeling a bit warm..." he pressed his cheek against Ianto's forehead. "You're not getting ill, are you?"

"I hope not," he pushed Jack away and opened his eyes, reaching out for Jack's hand. "Bed time?"

"Come on then, Mr Harkness-Jones," Jack grunted and tugged him to his feet, then looped his arm around his waist loosely, resting his hand on the curve of his arse. "You get up to bed, and I'll bring us some drinks up."

"Alright." Ianto stopped him before he went to the kitchen and wrapped his arms around his neck. "I missed you, by the way," he said before kissing him softly. "And I'm glad you're home."

Jack smiled and rested his hands on Ianto's hips, hooking his thumbs though his belt loops. "I missed you too. It's worth it to come home to you, though."

"You are a hopeless, soppy romantic," Ianto chided him, "and I love you."

"I love you too," Jack laughed, pushing him away. "Go on, bed. I'll be up in a minute."

Ianto did as he was told, climbing the narrow, creaking staircase as quietly as he could. He visited Andrew first, and was relieved to find that he was sleeping deeply, flopped in the middle of the double bed and taking up as much space as a six-year-old boy could take up which, as he and Jack had discovered occasionally after nightmares, was a lot of space. He tucked a stray foot back under the covers and brushed Andrew's hair back from his forehead, then turned the bedside light out and left the room as quietly as he'd entered.

Mirabelle was curled up in a tiny ball, with Tybalt sprawled across the pillow above her head. He gave Ianto a slow glare, stretched, yawned, and curled up again with one eye just visible over his tail to watch Ianto's progress. Ianto ignored him, except to stroke him briefly to keep him quiet, and pulled the duvet down to uncover Mirabelle's head and tuck it under her chin. She didn't wake, even when he kissed the top of her head, so he left the door open for Tybalt on his way out and went to his and Jack's room.

He was in bed by the time Jack got there, with the duvet pooled around his waist and his nose in his book. Jack opened his mouth to make a comment and Ianto glared at him over the top of his glasses until he closed his mouth and smiled. "Tybalt's in with Belle," he informed him, closing his book and setting it aside with his glasses on top of it.

Jack nodded and set the tray down on the chest of drawers. "I'll go and say goodnight, but he'll be okay in there overnight. He wasn't a problem whilst I was gone?"

"No, no," Ianto accepted the mug from him and sighed. "Thanks. No, he's been fine. I just didn't know if you'd want him to go downstairs or outside."

"I'll leave him," Jack leaned forwards and kissed Ianto on the cheek. "I'll be right back."

Ianto wrapped his hands tightly around his mug, listening to Jack's progress around the landing, starting with Andrew, stopping off in the bathroom and then finishing in Mirabelle's room. He left their bedroom door ajar when he returned and stripped off quickly, leaving his clothes folded carefully on a chair – the closest Ianto had yet got to persuading him to put them away at the end of the day – and collected his mug before sliding under the covers next to Ianto and lifting an arm for Ianto to curl up against him.

"That's better," he sighed, tightening his arm around Ianto and taking a sip of his drink. "Now we've got the day out of the way, how are you?"

"I..." Ianto thought about this and smiled. "I am very happy to have you home. As much fun as we had whilst you were gone, I did wish you hadn't been."

"I think I made sense of that sentence," Jack said thoughtfully. "But I'm glad I'm home too. Here's hoping no one needs my attention for a while, at least."

"Do you think you'll be here next Monday?" Ianto asked.

Jack hugged him tighter and brushed his lips against his forehead. "Ianto... oh Ianto, I am not going to miss your birthday for the apocalypse, alright? A translation in Mexico or a meeting in Japan have no chance. I'll be here."

"I just wanted to make you say it," Ianto smiled up at him and tilted his head for a kiss, which Jack readily granted him. "Can't believe I'm nearly thirty..."

"I know." Jack downed more of his drink. They'd had too many occasions when Ianto seeing thirty had seemed like an impossibility for him to be able to joke about it. "I'm just glad you're still with me."

"I look nearly as old as you now," Ianto pointed out, not seeming at all put out by that fact. "Strangers will stop assuming you're my dad when we take Mam out to lunch before long."

"That only happened once..."

"It was funny," Ianto finished his drink and rolled away from Jack to set his mug on his bedside table, then back into Jack's arms where he used Jack's shoulder as a pillow. "We're going to get too hot here," he pointed out.

Jack set his mug aside and wrapped both arms tight around Ianto. "Tough. Not letting you go now... Besides, you'll snore."

Ianto thumped him, but in an affectionate and amused manner.


	5. Plotting Children and Poorly Parent

Jack stuck his head up through the trap door into the hayloft and relaxed. "So that's where you all went."

"We left you a note," Mica pointed out defensively.

Jack sighed and hauled himself up through the hole, then settled down between Mirabelle and Mica with his legs crossed. They had left him a note, this was true; unfortunately, Mirabelle had written it, and she was four. "What are we all doing up here? More to the point, what are we all doing up here without a packed lunch?"

David frowned seriously in a vain attempt to fight back his laughter. "This is the first meeting of the top secret Ianto's Birthday plotters."

Jack blinked and shifted his arm to let Mirabelle curl up against him. "I didn't realise it was a secret..."

"Well it isn't, yet," David tapped his nose.

Mica sighed. "Really, Uncle Jack. It's the big three-oh. It has to be big."

"How big?" Jack asked warily, recognising Rhiannon's influence all over the proceedings.

"Well..." Mica pulled out a pad of paper and passed it over to him. It was filled with a list of names in her mother's neat print. "That's the list that Mum's done of who she thinks should be invited from the family, plus the work people she knows. She's invited them, by the way."

"When?"

"Last month... or the month before," Mica shrugged. "Don't worry about it, she's got it all organised."

David coughed. "I don't think that was actually reassuring," he muttered.

Jack laughed and handed her the pad back. "How many are we expecting?"

"This many. Thirty, I think," she checked down the list and nodded. "Plus whoever you think should be invited who we haven't thought of or don't know. We don't have long, because Uncle Ianto will wonder where you've gone, so we need you to write down anyone you think should be added to the list and their contact details."

Jack accepted the pad back with a pen and gave David a despairing look. "What have you got planned, then?"

"You write, we'll talk," David instructed. "We checked the marquee out through sneaky sneakinesss, and it's fine, so Mam and Tad are going to put that up in the big meadow in case of rain. Mum is renting chairs and tables from the church hall in the village, which means that we can clear this barn out and have indoor camping for those that want, and sort the outhouses out for those who want more privacy. Your task is to keep Ianto away."

"You're our disturbtion," Mirabelle interjected seriously.

"Distraction, Belle," David corrected her. "He's a distraction."

Mica glared at her brother. "It doesn't matter, David. Anyway... Mum says that you should take Ianto for a night at the pub up the valley, the one where he loves the food?" She paused for Jack to indicate his understanding and continued, "He knows that Mum, Dad and Nan are coming up that night, so it would make sense to him if you wanted to take him away that you took him the night before when they can look after us. Not that we need looking after..."

"I've got you," Jack agreed. "And if I take him out for the day as well, that will give you longer to get things sorted."

"It will. Take him to Llan-what's-it Priory or something, anything that's in the wrong direction for him to be able to insist that you check in here on your way back," she instructed. "And Mum will get everything sorted out here so that it's all perfect when you come back."

Jack found himself nodding and realised again that Ianto's sister could easily give him a run for his money in organisation and administration. He and Ianto needed a PA, and she'd be perfect. "When does she want him back on his birthday?"

"Five or later," David interjected. "Everyone is due to arrive by four, so by five they should all be here. The caterer is coming at three."

"Wow," Jack blinked at them and leaned back. "You've really got everything organised."

Mica bit her lip, picking up on Jack's disappointment. "We knew that you hadn't had any time to plan anything, with how often you've both been away. And we know Uncle Ianto; if you have brought the idea of a party up, he's said no, right?"

Jack sighed and nodded, smiling ruefully. "Yeah, he has. I'm glad you've organised this... I hate lying to him."

"That's because you're not very good at it," Mice smiled at him and patted his leg. "Don't worry about it. We're Joneses, we've got it covered."

"You do seem to have," Jack agreed. "Do you need anything else from me?"

"Yes. Go play nurse," Mica instructed firmly, pointing to the house. "We're going to take Belle and Andrew into the meadow, if that's alright?"

"You know it is," Jack assured her, standing up. "I'll do you a picnic, if you like?"

"Thank you," Mica beamed and hugged his nearest leg.

David reached up to take the pad from Jack and looked down at the names. "Mum has it all sorted really. Nothing much for us to do apart from get you out of the way. Go on, we'll look after these two. You go and look after Ianto."

Jack let himself back into his and Ianto's room half an hour later and immediately went to rest the back of his hand against Ianto's forehead, but it was batted away. "Your temperature's not sunk, as far as I could tell," Jack told him worriedly.

"Jack, I'm fine," Ianto protested grumpily, voice muffled by the pillows. "I've just picked up Andrew's bug from yesterday; I look and feel like shit, but it's nothing."

"If you're sure," Jack conceded doubtfully. He sat down at the head of the bed and pulled Ianto's head into his lap so that he could massage his scalp. "I hate it when you're ill."

"I hate it when I'm ill, too." Ianto snorted. "Did you find them?"

"Yeah, eventually," he chuckled. "They left me a note."

"Oh yeah? Did Belle write it?"

"How did you guess?" Jack stroked Ianto's hair back, teasing his fingers along his hairline. "Promise me you're going to be alright."

"I'm going to be fine," Ianto grunted. "I just need peace and quiet."

"Do you want me to go?" he asked quietly.

Ianto sighed and half-opened his eyes. "No. Stay with me. Don't want to be alone."

Jack nodded and lifted Ianto up carefully so that he could shuffle down to lie next to him. As soon as he was in position, Ianto snuggled in to his side and rested his head on Jack's chest, nearly whimpering when Jack resumed petting his hair. "Go to sleep," Jack whispered. "I'll be here."


	6. Fever Pitch

Ianto wasn't much improved when he woke up later in the afternoon; in fact, he seemed to have got worse, and he was overheating to the point where Jack had retreated to the chair, worried that staying so close to him would push his temperature up further to dangerous levels. He was probably being paranoid, but it was his job to worry. Whilst he waited and watched, with the windows thrown open to let a breeze into the room and so that he could hear the children playing down in the yard, he'd picked up one of the pulp science fiction novels that Ianto collected more for the laughs than for reading, and was engrossed in the story.

A soft chuckle turned into a groan, and Jack dropped it, losing his page, to hurry to the bed and press the back of his hand to Ianto's forehead. Ianto let him, probably because Jack's hand was actually cooler than his forehead, and blinked up at it. "How long was I asleep?"

"A couple of hours," he sighed and sat down on the bed, brushing Ianto's hair back from his forehead. "You always have to go one better, don't you?"

"It's a skill," he joked, rubbing at his eyes. "I feel like crap."

"You look like crap as well, sorry," he smiled softy and leaned forwards to kiss his forehead. "I'll go and get you some water, I won't be gone long."

When he returned, Ianto was sitting up in bed but leaning back against the pillows. The one positive thing that Jack could say was that he didn't look pale. "Thanks," Ianto muttered, accepting the glass from him with a sigh and poking at the straw. "How ill do you think I am?"

"You just slept for two hours in the middle of the day," Jack pointed out gently, putting a jug full of iced water down on a mat on the bedside table; Ianto's approving look warmed him. "Besides, straws make everything better."

Ianto laughed and rubbed his stomach. "Do you want to good news or the bad news first?"

"Bad news," Jack decided. "As long as it's not too bad."

"The bad news is that I feel like I'm on fire, and I just want to go back to sleep," he took a deep drink of water and scooped out an ice cube to suck. "The good news," he said around the ice cube, "is that I don't feel like I'm going to be sick again."

"That is a relief," Jack agreed. "Do you want something to eat, in that case?"

"Yes please," Ianto's eyes fluttered shut when Jack stroked his hair again and he smiled softly. "Or just keep doing that..."

"Someone's tactile today," Jack commented, rubbing with his fingertips just behind Ianto's ear. "How about I go and get us some lunch, and then I'll come back up and scratch behind your ears? I even made us some sandwiches up earlier, so I only need to run down there and get them."

"Organised, I like it," Ianto pushed his hand away and reached out for the jug of water. "You do that."

"Okay," Jack cupped Ianto's cheek and kissed the other cheek gently. "Get well soon for me."

"I'm trying," Ianto chuckled. "Thank you."

Jack brushed his cheek and smiled softly. "Least I can do. Don't go anywhere."

He headed back downstairs and only just heard Ianto's muttered reply of "Where am I going to go? Out the window?"


	7. Sunrise and Sunny Side Up

**Author's note:** Ianto got better. We've skipped forwards a week, it was sure to happen somehow. Otherwise Jack would be a whole lot more panicked.

* * *

The day before Ianto's birthday dawned bright and clear, just like every day for over a week. People were making jokes about miracles and the end of the world, and Jack and Ianto were checking the Rift monitor every day. So far it seemed to be an ordinary, boring anticyclone, hovering over the UK and bathing them in scorching heat. Reservoirs were getting low, the grass and the people were getting steadily browner and ice cream sales were up 30% on the previous year.

Jack was the first awake, as always, and he leaned in the kitchen doorway to watch the sun rise over the valley and the ripples that the wind made in the grass he hadn't got around to cutting yet. The only one he had cut was the big meadow where Ianto's party would be held, but it was flat and easy to do, so Ianto hadn't asked too many questions about why the others hadn't got the same treatment. He'd nagged a bit and threatened to do it himself, but Jack had insisted that he'd get around to it, and Ianto had made enquiries about borrowing a couple of sheep from the neighbouring farm.

Flapping footsteps approached through the house, and Jack looked over his shoulder to greet Mica. She had her hand raised over her eyes to keep the sun out of them, and was squinting tiredly. "God," she muttered, "I thought I'd be the only one awake this early."

"Nope, you've got me too," he smiled at her and lifted one arm, inviting a hug. "Sleep well?"

"Mmm, yeah," she snuggled into his side and sighed. "Not for long enough, but well."

"Always the way, isn't it? Still, you've got a fabulous view to make up for it," he pointed out. "It's not often you get to see the dawn at this time of year."

"Yeah. It's pretty," she said approvingly.

"It is," he agreed. Mica hummed quietly and he looked down at her, brushing her hair back from her face so that he could see her better. "Do you want some breakfast?"

She grinned up at him, showing the gap where she'd recently lost one of her baby teeth. "Yes please!"

"Okay, then," he steered her into the kitchen and put the door prop in to keep it open. "And you can help me make up a picnic for Ianto's birthday, too."

"Yay, picnic! Will you make a picnic for us, too?" she asked eagerly.

"Well, I can try." He thought about it whilst he got the sausages and eggs out of the fridge. In preparation for his and Ianto's big day out, he'd stocked up on what he needed to make a picnic for the two of them that they could take up onto the hill tops to enjoy the view and the food at the same time, but he didn't know if he had enough picnic suitable stuff for the whole family, which would include Ruth, Rhiannon and Johnny. Still, he was nothing if not creative. "I think I can. We can make a pasta salad, boil some eggs, we've got quite a lot of cheese, I can do a quiche and some mini pizzas... And lots of sandwiches, of course."

"Trifle?" she asked hopefully.

"If you'd wanted trifle, you should have asked last night," he chided her somewhat apologetically. His voice echoed around the cupboard, and he finally located the big frying pan. "There we go. Sorry doll, but we've not got time for the jelly to set before I have to go out."

"Oh..." Mica sagged.

He ruffled her hair and pushed her head gently. "I can make apple turnovers, though. Or Eccles cakes. I think I have some puff pastry in the freezer... Or cake..."

"Cake!" she interrupted cheerfully. "Fruit cake."

"I think we might actually have one," he pondered aloud. "I'm just going to go and get what I need from the pantry. Don't touch the frying pan."

"I won't," she promised, clasping her hands tightly behind her back.

The pantry at the back of the kitchen was half the size of the kitchen itself, but cool and dark because it was windowless and unheated. It was one of his favourite rooms in the old farmhouse, although he couldn't have explained why. It was something about the old way of living it recalled, even though he'd installed a chest freezer in here. The room was cool enough to keep cheeses, milk and fresh meat on the slate shelves, especially since he'd had them overlaid with marble. He had to make three trips to collect everything he thought he'd need, including the enormous jar of pasta and the picnic basket that lived on the top shelf.

Mica was standing where he'd left her, fingers still twined together behind her back, and she watched him curiously. "What are you cooking?" she asked, as innocently as a child enquiring after breakfast can.

"Well, first I'm going to fry sausages and eggs for us, that we can have with dippy bread. And then I'm going to make two picnics. Does that sound okay?" he asked, although he was already dropping sausages into the heated pan.

"Yay!"

"Shh," he pressed one finger to his lips and glanced at the ceiling pointedly. "We can't wake Ianto up."

She nodded and pressed her hand over her mouth, then tried to speak through it. When he pulled her hand away, she tried again. "Do you want me to do anything?"

"Yeah..." he looked around and sighed. "I forgot the bread. Can you get me two loaves from the pantry?"

"Okay!"

He smiled and turned his attention back to the hissing sausages, scudding them around the frying pan to keep them from burning or sticking to the pan. Mica returned quickly with the two loaves and set them on the table, then knelt up on a chair to watch him cooking. "Careful," he warned. "Don't want you falling onto this floor."

"I'm being careful," she sighed, probably with an accompanying eye-roll. "How are the sausages looking?"

"They're looking like sausages, ma'am," he informed her. "How do you want your egg?"

"Dippy."

"As dippy as you?" he looked over his shoulder and stuck his tongue out at her. "Can you get me two plates out as well, please?"

She scrambled down from her chair to do that and he stabbed the sausages with his fork. They were nearly cooked, so he collected the eggs. "One egg or two, Mica?"

"Two please."

He cracked the eggs into the frying pan, two for each of them, and concentrated on keeping them detached from the bottom of the pan and from the sausages. Mica hovered close to him, watching the oil hissing and spitting. "Mica, back off a bit. I don't want you to get splashed with oil."

She took a step back and bit her lip. "Is it hot?"

"Very hot," he smiled down at her for a second. "Well, think of how hot your sausages are when they come out of it."

"That's hot," she agreed. "Too hot to eat."

"Usually. There we go, dippy eggs and slightly split sausages," he winked and transferred the frying pan to the kitchen table to scoop the eggs and sausages onto the plates that Mica had set out. "I spoil you, don't I?"

"Can we have ketchup?"

He sighed theatrically. "Oh, alright then. Let me cut the bread first."

They ate quickly, but with great enjoyment. It was nice to be able to start the day with just Mica's company, Jack thought. He and Ianto saw her and David a lot, but rarely on their own. Siblings came as a boxed set, almost, especially with Mirabelle and Andrew along as well. The cousins loved each others' company.

Mica proved to be an able assistant in the preparation of the picnics. They prepared a dozen rounds of sandwiches, cut into triangles, and put some into the picnic basket for Jack and Ianto's trip and the rest in a box in the pantry. In the meantime, a large quiche for the pantry, a tray of little sausages and a tray of apple turnovers were cooking in the oven. Jack buckled the picnic basket shut and lifted it to test its weight. "Right, Mica, I have a mission for you."

She beamed up at him and accepted the basket, then watched him cross the room to the key rack. "Do you want me to hide it?"

"I do," he confirmed, finding his car keys and returning to offer them to her. "Put it in the boot of the Jaguar and come straight back, because then I want you to go and wake David up."

"Okay," she balanced the keys on top of the basket so that she could carry it with both hands. "Don't burn the turnovers."

He shook his head and laughed, winding through the living room to climb the stairs as quietly as he could. His first stop was his and Ianto's room, where he sat on the edge of the bed for a moment, just watching Ianto sleep. One of his hands was curled loosely around the edge of the pillow, and his lips curved into a soft pout. Jack brushed his fingers through the hair at Ianto's temple and leaned down to kiss his forehead gently. "Wakey wakey, Ianto."

Ianto stirred slightly but didn't wake, so Jack drifted his fingers lower and started massaging the back of his neck. "Ianto... Come on Ianto, don't make me deal with my mother-in-law on my own."

It took a bit more coaxing and cajoling, but Ianto eventually grunted and turned his head to the side to invite a proper kiss. "Time is it?" he asked groggily, reaching out for Jack.

Footsteps thundered up the stairs and then up the next set of stairs to the attic, and Jack chuckled. "Breakfast time. It's nine."

"Nine?" Ianto opened one eye enough to glare at him. "You woke me at nine?"

"I've been awake since half three," he protested with a pout. "I was getting lonely."

Ianto grunted and let Jack pull him up against his chest, hugging him back. "But still... nine in the morning..."

"Ruth and Rhiannon are due to arrive at eleven, remember?" he smiled at the wall when Ianto snuggled against him more. "You're not going back to sleep, no matter how sweet it is. You've got half an hour until breakfast will be ready, anyway."

"And I suppose I have to get the children up whilst you cook?" Ianto guessed.

"Only Belle and Andrew," Jack reassured him. "Mica's been up nearly as long as I have, and she's..." he was interrupted by a thump and a yell from upstairs, then more thundering feet. "David's awake."

Ianto groaned and buried his face in Jack's chest. "Life made so much more sense when I was asleep."

Jack kissed the top of his head, because it was all that was in reach. "I have Welsh Dragon sausages."

"You have hash browns?" Ianto pulled back to look up at him.

"Mr Harkness-Jones," Jack chided in scandalised tones. "Of course I have hash browns; what do you take me for?"

"I love you," Ianto muttered, stretching and yawning. He smirked as Jack's eyes widened slightly and traced across his chest. "Like the view?"

Jack smiled and drew him close for another kiss. "I love the view. I love you." He sighed and held on for a bit longer. "And now I really am going to go and do breakfast."

"Okay. I'll be down soon," Ianto assured him, reaching for a T shirt. "Don't forget to do Mirabelle a tomato."

"As if I would," Jack laughed. "Our daughter is..." he sighed and looked up at the ceiling. "I'll go and separate the warring factions first."

"Good luck," Ianto chuckled. "Now I know that life is back to normal."


	8. A Day Like This

Jack leaned on the wall and looked sideways at Ianto, trying to ignore his distracted expression. "So, we've got an hour to kill before dinner..."

Ianto looked around at him and tilted his head curiously. "You made reservations for dinner? I thought we were going home."

"No," he rubbed his hand down Ianto's back, enjoying the feel of the soft cotton against his palm. "We've got dinner and a room at the Swan, and they have a live band in the evening."

"Jack..." Ianto turned to face him and his distraction had turned to consternation, with a touch of anger. "We're going to be away overnight, and you didn't think to tell me?"

"It would have defeated the object of a surprise," he pointed out, more sharply than he'd intended, pulling his hand back and folding it over his other in front of him, returning his gaze to the vista before them so that Ianto couldn't see the look in his eyes. "I never get any time alone with you these days."

"We can't leave the kids overnight," Ianto protested, using the tone of voice that said that Jack was an idiot, but Ianto was going to refrain from pointing it out out of professional courtesy; Jack hadn't heard that tone of voice for a few years now. "I'm sorry, Jack," he continued, not sounding sorry at all, "but we're going home."

Jack was on the verge of capitulating, but The Plan bound him into an argument he was surely going to lose. "Your mam, Rhiannon and Johnny are all there, they've got Mica and David to keep them entertained and Alice is arriving this evening with Steven and John; they won't even notice we're not there."

"And what happens if something goes wrong?" Ianto had pursed his lips and was glaring at a tree when Jack glanced at him.

"Ruth and Rhiannon will organise it, and Alice will hit it with a rolling pin," Jack tried to shrug it off. "Six excitable children, three gossiping women, and Johnny..."

"You're not helping, Jack," Ianto interrupted. "I don't want to fight with you over this..." he trailed off, meaning absolutely clear.

"Fine," Jack sagged, shaking his head. It might spoil the plan, but he could probably nudge Ianto and the kids up onto the hills out of the way for the day. With any luck, Ianto would notice that he didn't want to go with them and wonder what was wrong, and might stop Jack feeling so damn hurt. When they'd made their plans, Ianto not wanting to spend time with him hadn't even been a consideration; it was such an alien concept. Maybe there was alien involvement... He sighed and pushed away from the wall, turning Ianto and framing his face in his hands. "Let's at least go for dinner, yeah?" Ianto looked like he was on the verge of declining that, so Jack dragged out the pout. "Please? Let's enjoy what's left of our day together. When was the last time we went out for dinner together when we weren't on secondment?"

Ianto opened his mouth, closed it again to purse his lips, and nodded. "Okay."

"Wow, enthusiasm," Jack joked bitterly, releasing him and heading back to the car. "We might as well skip dessert and hope that Mica didn't eat all of the cake..."

"What is up with you?" Ianto asked, hands on his hips when Jack glanced at him incredulously. "You make it sound like I don't want to be with you..."

"I make it sound like you don't want to be with me?" Jack stared at him. "You're the one who's been completely distracted all day, stopped listening in the middle of a sentence on at least six occasions and said that you don't want to be here."

"I never..."

"Really? Because that's what it sounded like," Jack pointed out as calmly as he could. From Ianto's expression he had a feeling that it either didn't work, or worked too well – Ianto looked like he'd been slapped. "It's the first day we've spent together as a couple without children or work since Valentine's Day, and you just seem totally bored."

"I'm not..." Ianto looked horrified and hurried over to squeeze Jack's hands. "God, Jack, I'm not bored. I've loved today. I'm just... oh Hell..."

Jack swallowed and wondered what 'oh Hell' meant. "I just wanted to be able to have a day together for your birthday, before the family descends in earnest and we can't get a moment alone."

"That's the thing though, isn't it?" Ianto looked away but didn't release his hands. "There's something going on at the house, and I can't work out what it is."

"You..." Jack couldn't decide whether to laugh or curse. "You figured out that there's a plot going on, and that's what's been distracting you?"

"Well I hoped that there was a plot, because otherwise you'd all given in to my insisting that I didn't want a party, which would be a terrible shame," he smiled wryly. "But I couldn't even find any evidence of it."

Jack chuckled. "That's because your sister has all the evidence."

"Ah. That would do it," Ianto brought his eyes back to Jack's, via their hands. "You really thought that... have I been that distracted?"

"You really have," Jack agreed, pleased that there was a funny side to see. "I told you I was pregnant over lunch."

"You..." Ianto spluttered.

"I'm not," he reassured him hastily. "But yeah, you were miles away."

"I'm really sorry," Ianto said quietly, guilt-stricken. "I never wanted you to feel like that. I really have loved spending today with you; it's reminded me how lucky I am, as if I needed reminding."

Jack smiled and slid his hands to Ianto's waist, breathing a sigh of relief when Ianto completed the manoeuvre and hugged him tightly. "Nosy cow," he muttered into Ianto's hair. "Although I'm glad it was just nosiness and not an alien mind control."

"You..." Ianto pulled back and blinked at him. "I worry about our lives." Then he smiled softly and pressed a chaste kiss to Jack's cheek. "But it's reassuring that you didn't think it was me being normal."

"Couldn't be you being normal," Jack insisted. "We kept our clothes on for the whole day."

"We did," Ianto agreed, toying with Jack's hair with one hand. "We should rectify that when we get to the room..."

"I thought you wanted to go home?" Jack asked, not-so-secretly delighted with the return to plan. 

"Well... I can't get you in trouble with mam and Rhiannon, can I? I don't want a family split at my not-secret birthday party," Ianto laughed, and the corners of his eyes crinkled; it was the first time that Jack had noticed them doing so. He leaned in to kiss the corner of Jack's mouth. "And I think I have some making up to do after today, don't I?"

"A bit," Jack agreed. "You can buy me lunch tomorrow as well."

"Don't push it," Ianto laughed, but trailed off staring into Jack's eyes. "I really hurt you today, didn't I?"

"Nearly," Jack agreed softly. "Try not to do it again."

Ianto shook his head and wrapped his hand around the back to Jack's neck, pulling him in for a deep, tender kiss. Jack sighed into it and kissed back, content to let Ianto set the pace and guide it, accepting the apology and promise for what they were, and revelling in the love he could nearly taste. They held onto each other, bathed in rare Welsh sunshine and ready to reset the day and give the evening and each other the attention they deserved.


	9. You're Only Thirty Once

Jack pulled into the empty farmyard and smiled at Ianto. "Now, remember. You don't know there's a surprise planned."

"I remember," Ianto rolled his eyes and leaned over to kiss him. "I'm not a complete spoil-sport."

"That's okay, then." He parked against the barn wall and got out, deciding to leave the roof down for now, despite the risk that this would make it rain. "Coffee?"

"Hopeless," Ianto chided. They headed for the door, but were intercepted by scampering feet on gravel hurtling around the corner of the barn. "Hello Monster!" he bent down and held out his arms, and Mirabelle crashed into them, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck and planting a wet kiss on his cheek. "Did you miss me?"

"Happy birthday Taddy!" She hugged him slightly too tightly, and he made choking faces at Jack. "We got you a surprise."

"Did you really?" he pried her off a bit and shifted her more comfortably on his hip. "You're getting too big, Princess."

"I'm a big girl," she agreed, releasing one hand to clamp her hand onto her head. "I fell in the Nant 'terday."

"Did you get wet?" Jack asked, poking her tummy. "Hello darling."

"I did get wet," she agreed. "It was good."

"Can I have a cuddle?" Jack asked her, but she hugged Ianto again and shook her head. "Oh... okay."

More footsteps approached around the barn, and David poked his head around to look at them. "Belle, you're supposed to let them come to us," he chided, then added as an afterthought, "Also, you're not supposed to run off. We're having a picnic in the meadow, if you'd like to join us, though."

"Ooo picnic," Ianto smiled and hitched Mirabelle higher so that he could free one of his hands and hold it out to Jack. "Coming?"

"Coming," Jack agreed, taking his hand. "We need to get some fresh suntan lotion on you, though."

They followed David around the corner of the barn and stopped to stare at the big meadow. The marquee had been set up at one end of it, with balloons and streamers tied onto every exposed pole and rope loop, and the walls were open to reveal several long tables surrounded by chairs, and a buffet table at the far end. The barn doors were wide open, as was the hayloft door above them, and two big speakers had been set up in the hayloft. The grass was covered with picnic blankets and chairs, and all of them were recently abandoned by friends and family, who had stood up to cheer 'surprise' at their arrival.

Ianto was either a very good actor, or they'd managed to keep their plans as secret as he'd made out. "Wow..." he swallowed and released Jack's hand so that he could wrap his arm around his waist instead and hold him closer. "This is..."

"Happy birthday, Ianto," Ruth approached them with two champagne flutes and a bottle. "You might have to put the pair of them down for this."

He nodded and released Jack, handing Mirabelle over to him, and tugged his mam in for a hug. "Never trust a Jones," he muttered. "Thank you."

"My little boy, you're not allowed to be thirty," she insisted, wiping at her eyes awkwardly with the hand full of glasses. "Now pop the cork, then we can get on with drinking."

"Hang on!" Mica yelled, and Ianto spotted her sitting behind the speakers with a laptop on the floor between them. "You have to pop it on the final note."

Ianto looked at Jack desperately, but Jack just shrugged. Andrew had joined them and burrowed under Jack's free arm, and Ianto would have given his kingdom for a camera. Considering how many there were around, he'd probably be able to get a photo of it off someone else. "Get on with it then!" he yelled back.

"I'm getting on with it. Nearly... hah!"

The opening chords of Happy Birthday To You floated across the field, and the gathered crowd joined in with a lot of gusto and not so much skill. Ianto blinked back tears and concentrated on unwrapping the foil in time to fire the cork. It sailed up into the sky and Ianto saw someone lift Steven to catch it. "Thank you," he blushed fiercely, and Ruth rescued him with the champagne flutes. "How do you want to do this?" 

"I'll hold, you pour. Then I want a photo of you, Jack and the children," she instructed, holding the flutes out. "Mica Morwen Davies, shut that racket off."

"That racket is my favourite band," Ianto protested vaguely, even as Mica switched the track to something much cheesier and more suitable. "The girl has excellent taste."

"That racket has far too much swearing in it for my Auntie Evelyn," Ruth said severely.

"What, she's here?" Ianto blinked and scanned the crowd. "Does she know I'm married?"

"I don't know, depends on whether she's read the Christmas letters for the last three years. Snog Jack and we'll find out..." she passed him a glass and took the bottle back. "Not that you need telling to do that."

He smiled and accepted the other glass from her. "Where do you want us?"

"Oh, in the barn, dear. We've got a photo studio set up, so we can get all the family photos done whilst we're here," she ushered him towards Jack and the children, then all of them in a group into the barn. "We'll get this one done now, then get you drunk and do the rest later."

Ianto reached out to ruffle Andrew's hair and pulled a face at Jack, which Ruth diplomatically ignored. They really had got a professional photo studio set up, with the lights and screens and everything – and a box of props. Ianto's second cousin, Moira, was waiting with a camera. "Happy Birthday, Ianto," she kissed his cheek and gestured to the booth. "Let's get this done, then we can all eat. Now... Ianto and Jack in the middle, with Mirabelle and Andrew on either side."

They arranged themselves as instructed, with Mirabelle on Jack's hip and Andrew hugged in to Ianto's, and their free arms around each other. Moira took a few photos, including a few more relaxed ones, until she was satisfied, then steered them out of the dark barn into the sunshine with a grin. "You'll be back for more later, I'm sure." 

"We probably will," Ianto agreed.

Mica glomped him from behind and grinned out from around his side. "Are you surprised, Uncle Ianto?"

"I am. Did you organise all of this?" he asked seriously.

"No," she giggled. "Mum and Nan helped."

"I'm sure they did," he ran his fingers through her hair and tapped her nose. "Now, did someone mention dinner?"

A couple of hours later, Ianto had got separated from Jack, who was being accosted by every female member of Ianto's family over the age of fifteen, but had found Alice and John. "Alice, thanks for coming."

"I wouldn't have missed it for the world," she assured him, kissing his cheek. "Happy birthday."

"Thank you. How was your trip?" Alice and the boys had gone out to Italy to see Steven's dad and his new wife (his second wife since Alice), and were joining him and Jack at the house for the remainder of the summer holidays.

"Oh, it had its moments," she sighed, "most of them bad. It was lovely once we got rid of them, though."

"Did Venice live up to expectations?"

"Venice always lives up to expectations," she laughed. "Have you been?"

"Yes, once. Work, though," he added, and she smiled sympathetically. "Which reminds me, did I see the Doctor earlier?"

Alice pointed over her shoulder. "See the crowd of children?"

He looked past her and laughed. "Oh, yes. Mica will keep him in order."

"Do you think she's going to travel with him one day?" Alice asked thoughtfully.

"Probably," he smiled and watched the Doctor playing with the gaggle of Jones and Torchwood children. "Maybe she already has for him."

"You lot worry me," she muttered. "I think he scared John a bit," she ruffled the little boy's dark hair and he looked up at her with wide eyes and his thumb in his mouth. "He's been very quiet since we bumped into him."

"He has that effect," Ianto laughed. "Oh..." large hands had settled on his waist, and then the strong arms wrapped around his waist and tugged him back against a solid chest. "Hello Jack," he smiled, relaxing back and resting his arms on top of Jack's.

"Three of my favourite people," Jack grinned and kissed the side of his neck. "How are you both? Enjoying yourselves?"

"Definitely," Alice looked between them. "Should I give you some privacy?"

"We're in the middle of a field, Alice," Ianto pointed out. "I don't think he's going to be that inappropriate..." she was giving him a doubtful look, so he shrugged the shoulder that Jack's chin wasn't resting on. "Inappropriate, yes. But not public nudity inappropriate."

"You never know," Jack warned him. "Mirabelle has been suggesting a naked run to the Nant."

"I think that's probably aimed at people under the age of ten, Jack," Ianto chided. "Not just a mental age of ten."

"You wound me," Jack pouted audibly and tightened his arms around Ianto's waist. "Happy Birthday sweetheart."

Ianto turned his head and met Jack's lips. "Thank you." He relaxed back again and nuzzled his cheek against Jack's. "This is definitely the best birthday I've ever had."

Alice smiled and excused herself and John, and left Jack swaying with Ianto in his arms, back to chest. Jack's lips drifted against his ear. "Vow with me?"

"Vow with you?" Ianto turned and looped his arms around Jack's neck. "Is that English?" He leaned in to silence Jack's protests with a kiss. "I'd love to... vow with you. Did you have a vow in mind?"

"Nope," Jack smiled at him and his hands slid innocently to Ianto's arse and rested there not-so-innocently. "I was going to make something up."

"How very... creative," Ianto kissed him again and pushed him away. "You go and be creative, I'm going to mingle for a bit before Moira drags us all for photos. Oh, and tell Mam that you want to vow."

"She knows," Jack grinned at him and stuck his tongue out when Ianto rolled his eyes. "Love you."

Ianto blew him a kiss and drifted off through the crowd, enjoying the chance to catch up with people he hadn't seen in too long. Everyone seemed to have crawled out of the woodwork, some out of curiosity but most out of community. Gwen was swapping stories with Martha, UNIT personnel he'd worked with over the years rubbed shoulders with politicians he'd reassured, police officers he'd relieved of crimes gossiped with neighbours and suppliers he'd formed friendships with watched a large portion of the sprawling Jones family tree somewhat warily. It was lovely to see so many people, despite his occasional moments of 'there's someone missing' when he remembered the people he'd lost over his short life. His dad, Lisa, Tosh and Owen dominated his thoughts in those moments, but there were too many others.

Jennifer reeled him in and hugged him. "Hello Ianto, darling. Where's Jack?"

"Writing vows, I think," he hugged her back and kissed her cheek. "And where..."

"At the bar."

"Ah, of course," they settled down on folding chairs and Ianto leaned back, closing his eyes and turning his face into the sun. "I could get used to this."

"You've landed on your feet," she commented. "Oh, hello."

Mirabelle scrambled into Ianto's lap and snuggled against his chest. "I'm hiding."

"Okay," he stroked the top of her head and rolled his eyes. "I don't think I landed on my feet so much as someone caught me."

"Well, that always helps," Jennifer smiled over at him. "I remember when you were Mirabelle's age. You were such a sweet little boy. And now you're married and a tad. All grown up."

"It happens if you feed us," he hugged Mirabelle tighter. "Although you're not allowed to grow up, Miss Harkness-Jones."

"Why?" she pouted up at him.

"I like you little," he explained. "You're cuddle-able."

"I like cuddles," she hugged him tight. "Taddy, can I have cake?"

He laughed and picked her up, wobbling with the centre of balance that he'd mastered until she put on a growth spurt. "Cake for you, little sausages for me. Coming, Jennifer?"

"I'm already full, several times over," she waved him off. "Your mother organised the catering and I don't know where she got her appetite from, because I certainly didn't inherit it."

"I'm glad I did," Ianto hitched Mirabelle higher again and tickled her. "We'll be around. If you see Jack, will you tell him that I'm looking for him?"

"I will do, sweetheart. Enjoy your sausages."

Ianto and Mirabelle gave her a wave, then Ianto set off, winding his way through the crowd. The weather was warm, the company was excellent, the food was plentiful even for someone used to Jack's catering (they'd be eating leftovers for days, Jack would be dreadfully disappointed), and he'd reached an age he'd once thought he had no chance of seeing, with every expectation that he'd be able to live out the rest of his natural life in similar contentment. "We need to start ganging up on your dad, Princess. I think he's coming up to 2150 soon."

He was glad he'd got the chance to get used to this.


End file.
